Early summer, water scarcity hit nursery business

“Roses and other plants are infested with insects in the heat. Customers just buy pesticides from us. Nobody wants to buy new plants, as they are just worried they will be ridden with more insects,” said Vijaya Prasad from Mohana Nursery Garden in Nerkundram. I used to sell at least 200 plants a week earlier, but now, I don’t sell more than 40, he added.

Adding to the woes, water scarcity is forcing people to stop buying plants, explained Radhakrishnan from Priya Nursery in Kilpauk. He also added that customers prefer small indoor plants that do not need much water and can be placed on desktops. This yields less income. 

Varieties of jasmine, bougainvillea, avenue trees, cactus, adenium and plumeria are the only plants that thrive in this heat and scarcity of water. “It is only because of these few varieties that we are able to keep our heads above water,” said Radhakrishnan. The sales of Priya Nursery dipped to 75 per cent of the previous year’s income and will keep reducing as summer progresses, he added.

A representative of the Chennai Plant Nursery also expressed his disappointment over the dip in sales. Some nursery owners expressed hope in business picking up by June 15, as long as summer ends as predicted.

However, the weather continues to play truant this year so far. S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre of the Regional Meteorological Centre, said, “There is definitely a shortage of rains because the northeast monsoon did not make its way here this year. We will know if rains can be expected in May and June only after thunderstorm activities are analysed in the fourth week of April.”